It may take time to get used to having a prosthesis. You may feel nervous about wearing it, or it may feel different depending on the weather, your clothes or what you’re doing. You may have some concerns, including those outlined below.
Common concerns include:
- Temperature
- How to control the temperature
- Weight
- Swimwear
- Clothes
- How to adapt to clothes and use accessories
Temperature
You may find that wearing the prosthesis feels too hot in warm and humid weather. This is more common if you have larger breasts. New models of breast prostheses are designed with air ventilation and drying methods to help manage temperature and increase comfort.
How to control the temperature
- Wear a correctly fitting bra to hold the prosthesis in the right place and help keep you cool.
- Buy a breast prosthesis that uses temperature-regulating technology. This helps absorb body heat and helps maintain your body temperature.
- Wear a lightweight prosthesis in warmer weather, which may keep you cooler.
- Use a bra pocket or a breast prosthesis cover with a regular bra to help absorb sweat (perspiration) and keep you cool on hot days. Check whether your fitter sells covers.
- Wear a bra made with fast-drying or sweat-wicking fabric, such as a sports bra, which may be more comfortable if you perspire a lot.
- Wash your prosthesis well at the end of the day to stop any perspiration from damaging the prosthesis.
- Choose clothing made with cool, comfortable fabric, such as linen, silk or a synthetic fabric that breathable.
My breast form gets sweaty after I’ve been playing tennis. I have 2 forms, so after a shower I swap.
Pam
Weight
Silicone prostheses are available in different weights to suit a variety of needs. A standard silicone breast prosthesis is designed to be about the same weight as the other breast. Lightweight and ultra-lightweight breast prostheses are about 20–40% lighter than a standard prosthesis. You may prefer to wear a lightweight prosthesis when playing sport, or a soft prosthesis to bed.
If you’ve had a single mastectomy, a prosthesis that is correctly fitted and properly supported in a bra can make you feel balanced and will usually not feel too heavy, even if it feels heavy in your hands. If you’ve had a double mastectomy, you can choose the weight you feel most comfortable with. A fitter can help you pick a prosthesis with a weight that feels right.
Swimwear
While you can swim with your prosthesis occasionally, if you swim regularly, it’s better to buy a swim breast prosthesis. Swim breast prostheses are made of clear, water-resistant silicone. They are lightweight and dry quickly. You may also want to wear special pocketed swimwear, which includes a bra pocket for a swim breast prosthesis, wide straps, and higher neck and arm lines.
Mastectomy swimwear comes in a wide range of styles, patterns and colours. These can be bought from your fitter, some department stores, direct from some manufacturers or online.
Clothes
It’s common to worry about what you can wear with a prosthesis. You may find that you don’t need to change your clothes, but you might need to make some adjustments. For example, you may no longer feel comfortable wearing low-cut tops.
Your fitter may stock a range of products designed specifically to be worn with a breast prosthesis. The range of mastectomy wear is constantly expanding and includes lingerie, sleepwear, swimwear, sports bras, activewear and camisettes (material that attaches to your bra straps to make low necklines more modest).
How to adapt clothing or use accessories
- Use scarves or jewellery for extra coverage or to draw the emphasis away from your chest area.
- Alter your clothing yourself or use a dressmaker.
- Try a strapless pocketed bra or use a prosthesis you can attach to your skin.
- Wear a camisole or singlet under a V-neck top or buy a pocketed camisole bra.
- Reduce pressure from bra straps by using small shoulder cushions (check that the pressure is not from a poorly fitting bra).
- Add extra hooks on the back of the bra to make it more adjustable.
- Sew a pocket into your bra, sleepwear, activewear or swimsuit. You can find various patterns and instructions on how to make pockets online. Some lingerie stores sell ready-made pockets or they can order them for you.
→ READ MORE: Caring for a breast prosthesis
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Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
Dr Jane O’Brien, Specialist Oncoplastic Breast Cancer Surgeon, St Vincent’s Private Hospital, VIC; Clare Bradshaw, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Breast Assessment Unit, Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA; Rene Hahn, Consumer; Sinead Hanley, Consumer; Dr Marc Langbart, Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Randwick Plastic Surgery, NSW; Melanie Law, Consumer; Sally Levy, Consumer; Annmaree Mitchell, Consumer; Ashleigh Mondolo, Breast Cancer Nurse Clinical Consultant, Mater Private Hospital Brisbane, QLD; Rochelle Osgood, Clinical Nurse Consultant – McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, QLD: Dr Kallyani Ponniah, Head of Department, Breast Centre, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, WA; Meg Rynderman OAM, Consumer; Sarah Stewart, Breast Care Nurse, The Royal Women’s Hospital, VIC; Erin Tidball, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council NSW; Jane Turner, Senior Exercise Physiologist, Sydney Cancer Survivorship Centre, Concord Cancer Centre, NSW.
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